Losing their grip

England’s old dogs must learn new tricks to help their side find winning habit after lacklustre start to India series

ENGLAND'S defeat by India at Lord’s was awful. There is no other way to
describe it. Presented with the perfect pitch, a coin toss that went their
way and a seriously inexperienced India team, England somehow managed to
fluff their lines on the first morning.

The bowlers, led by James Anderson and Stuart Broad, persistently bowled too
short and too wide, allowing the Indian batsmen safe passage through to
lunch. England could have won the Test match in the first session; instead
they laid the platform for their eventual defeat.

Unfortunately that Lord’s performance with the new ball was not an aberration.
Twice at Headingley England’s two most experienced bowlers, with more than
600 Test wickets between them, managed to misuse the new ball and allow Sri
Lanka to gain the upper hand.

So how can two players with so much experience and skill be unable to pitch
the ball